Why Anti-DDoS Services Matter in Today’s Business Environment

Although the Internet has been around for a while, the boost in cloud computing has increased the utilization of WAN services. Any organization now using the Cloud or some type of Internet-based service must be aware of the security risks that come with the platform. With the evolution of the modern data center – and the use of cloud computing – has created more targets for attackers to go after. The widespread availability of inexpensive attack tools enables anyone to carry out distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. This has profound implications for the threat landscape, risk profile, network architecture and security deployments of Internet operators and Internet-connected enterprises.

With the direct increase in cloud services, organizations are utilizing more Internet services and greater amounts of bandwidth. Because of this, attackers are increasing the size and number of their attacks on targeted organizations. In a recent survey conducted by Arbor Networks the size of volumetric DDoS attacks have steadily grown. The truly troubling piece, however, was the report in 2010 of a 100 Gbps attack. To put that in perspective, that is more than double the size of the largest attack in 2009. This staggering figure illustrates the resources hackers are capable of bringing to bear when attacking a network or service.

DDoS Attacks by Gbps

Image source: Arbor Networks — Worldwide Infrastructure Security Report, Volume VI

Although these attacks have been simplified in deployment – they’ve certainly evolved in complexity. The methods hackers use to carry out DDoS attacks have evolved from the traditional high bandwidth/volumetric attacks to more stealthy application-layer attacks, with a combination of both being used in some cases.

In working with DDoS-type attacks, administrators must understand the depth of the DDoS problem. Volumetric attacks are also getting larger, with a larger base of either malware-machines or volunteered hosts being used to launch these attacks. Well-known groups, such as Anonymous, have brought a new type of DDoS attack into scope as well – hactivism. As these attacks become more prevalent, IT administrators must have good visibility into the complex threat environment and the true need for a full-spectrum solution. Download this white paper to see how DDoS can affect a business and the true importance for a solid security infrastructure. In this paper, Frost & Sullivan outline the various points in creating an all-encompassing security solution. Key points include:

The increase in cloud computing will result in more DDoS attacks on organizations. Since more targets are being presented, attackers may use a myriad of reasons to target an IT environment. This white paper outlines the key points in understanding DDoS attacks and how to strategically protect your environment. In creating a solid security solution, administrators are able to secure their infrastructure both at the perimeter and the cloud level.